The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-03-30

path lay by many rugged and dan
gerous spot; here among clusters of
heavy beech trees, there among rocks
and gnarled pines, that chung to the
edge of some abyss. AS we were above
the snow-line, though there was little
or no snow on the mountain, the air,
hot as the day was in the valley, was
bracing and delicious. 1t was an in
toxicating pleasure simply to open the
| mouth wide, and let the delicious
draughts blow in.
'.In five minutes we are up! cried
Gretchen, as we rounded very steep
point in the path that had almost
broken our knees and used up our
breath.
Sure enough, one little steep climb
of couple of hundred feet, and we
stood on q beautiful plateau covered
with grass. 1t was Il mile long, and
half mile wide, and seemed like a
fairy meadow hung among the clouds.
This is what the Swiss call an "alp,"
and the shepherds, when talking of the
alps, refer to these little green
meadows above the clouds. Gretchen
got her supper from herdsman whom
she knew, and who seemed much to
like her. From me she had the five
franc piece for new gown, and an
Americans sincere thanks. In ten
minutes she was bouncing, like a
scared roe, down the steep sides of the
mountain.
The fact that was member of the
Swiss Alpine Club soon brought me
acquaintance among the half-dozen
dairymen, or "senns,' as they call
them in the Alps. There were sixty
of the beautiful brown Switzer COWS on
the little alp, and six senns to herd
them, and make their milk into
"Schabziger cheese
EYES," said one of the senns, II have
been on this alp all the summers for
seventeen years, and one of my COM
rades has been here nine summers. The
other young fellows are here for thei,
first season. We will get the COWS ir
and MIXED, and after supper will tel
you something about the cheese"
at is no great secret then, after all, ,
| I thought, ''if / am to learn it Sc
easily"
The chief Sem stepped up on a grea
bOWlder that served as a wind-break fol
the little hut, and gave aSwiss 'jodel,
that peculiar and difficult song of thu
mountaineers.
"Ho ALI! ho ALI! ho ALI no! hu-hz
ALI hor'
| None but the strong, practised voic'
of the mountaineer, and then only il
the air of the high alps, can safel,
venture on the weird melody, which tn
rocks take up and reverberate, and far
off shepherds hear and answer back
Every COW of the drove, though half
mile away, knew the senn's jodel, ant
, slowly marched into the low stone she,
to be MIXED. One side of the hut wa
} boarded off, and there stood doze,
J of the soft-eyed, mouse-colored COWS
tied all in row, their heads looking
over the manager toward us, seemingl.
listening to what we were saying
while their bells tinkled curious &C
compartment. 1t became littl
chillier, later, and one of the Sem
brought in an enormous armful of driet
Alpine roses. What romantic sort o
fire it was!
"We must dig them up by the tens Q
wagon-loads," said the Sem, cor the.
overrun our meadows and spoil them.
It seemed wasteful to be burning
such rare and beautiful things, and
recalled that down in the valleys, ant
in the cities, single little boutomnie
of them sold for a quarter, and that
fine bouquet of Alpine roses was wort
two dollars when quite fresh.
lit is bedtime, so let us turn in,
t was the command, 'sfor we are up i
the morning at four o'clock"
There was but one bed for seve
men. 1t was made of a number {
. rude poles, laid together, side by side
, resembling a corduroy bridge. Gu
, bedding was hay, pulverized to flint
l ness from much use. Our covering
heavy canvas tarpaulin. Seven mel
on seven poles, sleeping under one tai
paulin! AS tried and tried to slice
! that night, the cow-bells that ha
seemed to tinkle so sweetly the nigh
t before, became great annoyance
Would they never stop their rattle?
spite of them, did sleep, at last, III
} tie, and then other things conspired
wake Inc.
. One was the deep snoring of my 81
| comrades under the tarpaulin. Anott
Y er was an army Of what Mark Tw al
e once described as the 'Swiss chamois.
3 They were, in fact, simply mountai
4 fleas; but most superior in size, an
1 numerous in quantity. What with til
3 snores, the feas, the hard poles, an
e the cow-bells, real sleep, even rest, b.
: came out of the question. It w;
r after midnight, and the full moon wa
i up. Without taking the trouble
S make a toilet, I went out of tt
S cabin.
: What sight! Never in my life ha
I seen such perfect, such glorior
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